/ 6 May 2008

Chair-sniffing Aussie politician keeps his seat

An Australian politician who admitted to sniffing the chair of a female colleague has survived a challenge to his state leadership of his party, an official said on Monday.

Troy Buswell was endorsed as the head of the West Australian Liberal Party after a motion to depose him at a party meeting failed, spokesperson Ray Halligan said.

“It was put to a ballot and the motion was defeated,” Halligan told reporters in Perth.

The challenge arose after Buswell last week broke down at a news conference and admitted he had sniffed the chair that a female colleague had been sitting on at his Parliament House office in December 2005.

The incident took place in front of other staff members and was done to get a laugh, the woman, who does not want to be named, told the West Australian newspaper.

Buswell, who is in line to become state premier if his party wins elections next year, has previously admitted to snapping the bra strap of an opposition party staffer. — AFP